NWO wins 3 State Titles at Cross Country Championships
Volume 2 Issue 43
Northwest Ohio took home three of the available six state titles up for grabs at the cross country state championships yesterday. Perrysburg took home the girls Division 1 state title. Meanwhile at the Division 3 level Columbus Grove took the boys title and Minster won the girls.
The Division 3 girls race started the day. Right from the get go Minster took the lead. The Wildcats were the top ranked team at each mile mark throughout the race. By the time it was all said and done they finished with a score of 62, nearly half of runners-up Rittman who had 123. Leading the way for Minster was Chaney Cedarleaf who finished 6th and Margaret Hemmelgarn who was 8th. Minster has now won every state title since 2016. This is the 14th state title for the program.
The Division 3 boys race was up for grabs with multiple teams that had a reasonable shot at the title. At the mile mark, Columbus Grove was sitting in second. By mile two they had moved up to first but Mount Gilead was closing in. Moving into the final stretch Columbus Grove had just a single-digit lead. That lead was enough to hold on as the Bulldogs defeated runners-up and defending champions Mount Gilead 122-128. The Bulldogs were able to pull off the win thanks to the strength of their 4 and 5 runners which outscored Mount Gilead by 35 points. This is the Bulldogs first ever state title in boys cross country. They are the first boys team in NWO to win a state title in a decade, the first state champion ever in the Putnam County League and the first in the Northwest Conference since 1981.
In the Division 1 girls race Perrysburg played the long game on the way to their state title. Through the one mile mark the Yellow Jackets were in a far back third place of leaders Hilliard Davidson. However at the two mile mark thinks had flipped. Perrysburg had taken a 25 point lead over Hillard Davidson to claim the top spot. Their rivals closed the gap but it was not enough as the Yellow Jackets hung on to win by 22 points and take home the state title. Perrysburg were lead by Hannah Kersten and Ava Beeks who both finished in the top 10. This is Perrysburg’s second state title, the other coming in 2021.
Below are the Northwest Ohio athletes and teams to finish in the Top 10:
Athletes
4th - Reese Landis - New London (D3 Boys)
5th - Owen Scott - Van Wert (D2 Boys)
5th - Riley Nixon - Ottawa Hills (D3 Boys)
5th - Lauren Sattler - Defiance Tinora (D3 Girls)
6th - Anna Buddelmeyer - Ottawa-Glandorf (D2 Girls)
6th - Chaney Cedarlead - Minster (D3 Girls)
8th - Connor Long - Anthony Wayne (D1 Boys)
8th - Hannah Kersten - Perrysburg (D1 Girls)
8th - Joe Mayer-Heckathorn - Ottawa Hills (D3 Boys)
8th - Margaret Hemmelgarn - Minster (D3 Girls)
9th - Ty Rosengarten - Ottawa-Glandorf (D2 Boys)
9th - Morgan Weichman - Port Clinton (D2 Girls)
10th - Ava Beeks - Perrysburg (D1 Girls)
10th - Kate Thormeier - Bryan (D2 Girls)
Teams
1st - Perrysburg (D1 Girls)
1st - Columbus Grove (D3 Boys)
1st - Minster (D3 Girls)
5th - Ottawa-Glandorf (D2 Girls)
6th - New Bremen (D3 Boys)
6th - Liberty Center (D3 Girls)
7th - Toledo St. Francis (D1 Boys)
7th - New Bremen (D3 Boys)
7th - Huron (D3 Girls)
8th - Seneca East (D3 Boys)
10th - Perrysburg (D1 Boys)
10th - Fort Recovery (D3 Girls)
Leading Updates
Andrew Chafin (Wakeman/Western Reserve) to enter MLB free agency.
Tycen Anderson (Toledo/St. John’s) placed on injured reserve by Bengals.
Notable Game Updates
On October 31st Dallas Gant (Toledo/St. John’s) had 13 tackles in a Toledo win over Buffalo.
On November 1st Dontrez Brown (Fremont Ross) had 9 total ackles including a sack in a Bowling Green State win over Ball State.
On November 1st Vince Williams Jr. (Toledo/St. John’s) had 12 points in a Grizzlies loss to the Jazz.
On November 1st Dakota Mathias (Elida) had 16 points in an Ulm win over Slask.
Interesting Reads
Good ole' days: Many recall height of Fostoria football powerhouse
Who are northwest Ohio's winningest high school football programs of all-time?
Perrysburg girls cross country wins 2nd state title in past three years
Toledo Christian defeats Holgate to win Ohio 8-man football championship
'A football school, too': Ottawa Hills recent gridiron success has ties to Start
Lasting legacy: Elise Ketelaar helped found now-thriving Maumee girls soccer program
Just For Fun
NWO teams to win a cross country state title (excluding 2023)
Boys
1934- Toledo Scott Div.1
1935- Toledo Scott Div.1
1936- Toledo Scott Div.1
1952- Marion Harding Div.1
1966- Caledonia River Valley Div.1
1970- Toledo DeVilbiss Div.1
1970- Lakota Div.2
1974- Findlay Div.1
1975- Defiance Ayersville Div.3
1981- Allen East Div. 3
1984- Bellevue Div.2
1985- Bellevue Div.2
1987- Sylvania Southview Div.1
1987- Perkins Div.2
1988- Perkins Div.2
1989- Perkins Div.2
1991- Sylvania Southview Div.1
1992- Sylvania Southview Div.1
1993- New London Div.3
1995- Bryan Div.2
1996- Fort Recovery Div.3
2000- Napoleon Div. 2
2012- Seneca East Div.3
2013- Defiance Div.2
Girls
1982- Minster Div.3
1983- Shawnee Div. 1
1984- Findlay Liberty-Benton Div.3
1985- Findlay Liberty-Benton Div.3
1986- Findlay Liberty-Benton Div.3
1987- Bellevue Div.1
1987- Sandusky Saint Mary's Div.3
1988- Sandusky Saint Mary's Div.3
1989- Sandusky Saint Mary's Div.2
1990- Sandusky Saint Mary's Div.2
1992- Woodmore Div.2
1993- Woodmore Div.2
1994- Sylvania Southview Div.1
1994- Woodmore Div.3
1996- Findlay Liberty-Benton Div.3
1998- Seneca East Div.3
​1999- Minster Div.3
2000- Minster Div.3
2001- Minster Div.3
2003- Bowling Green Div.1
2003- Napoleon Div.2
2004- Bowling Green Div.1
2004- Minster Div.3
2005- Bowling Green Div.1
2005- Minster Div.3
2008- Minster Div.3
2009- Minster Div.3
2010- Minster Div.3
2011- Liberty Center Div.3
2012- Liberty Center Div.3
2013- Liberty Center Div.3
2016- Minster Div.3
2017- Minster Div.3
2018- Minster Div.3
2019- Minster Div.3
2021- Perrysburg Div.1
2021- Minster Div.3
2022 - Minster Div.3